Zutara Week
by Way2Different
Summary: A series of stories for all the Zutara Weeks I have missed over the last eight years. One chapter per story, but if it is requested enough (and I think of ways to expand) I will take stories from this series and create them into their own books. So, from Zutara Week 2008, until Zutara Week 2018, these will be the one-shot stories I am submitting for you all to read.
1. Denim

A short alternate universe story dedicated to Zutara Week 2008, Day One: Denim. Yes, I realize I am late, as I will be for every other Zutara Week entry I post from now until I finish them all.

This is also in late celebration of my doctor's clearance! I am now allowed on the computer and to play sports and be active again!

Just in case anyone is wondering, the ages of everyone have been squished together in order to fit the storyline. That being said, I know that Zuko and Azula are two years apart in the original series, but for the sake of this story, they are twins, born minutes apart, but in separate years. Sokka is only one year older than Katara, and Suki is the same age as Zuko, Azula, and Sokka.

Happy reading, I hope you enjoy it.

* * *

January 26, 2019

I've updated the story slightly. The main story line and plot are still the same, I just went back in to correct some spelling and grammar mistakes and hopefully align things so they make a bit more sense than the first draft. Since I can't seem to find any decent ideas for the other themes for any of the following Zutara Weeks at the moment, and because I've gotten a few requests, be prepared to expect some follow up stories for Zutara Week that will be linked to this one! But that won't be for a few chapters yet at least.

Once again, thank you for you patience! If you notice any errors in my writing, want more of one of your favourite excerpts in this collection, or just wanna shoot me a message, by all means, you're more than welcome to!

* * *

Running out the door of our whitewashed house, I sprinted the last few steps onto the bus. It was the first time I had had to catch the bus since my brother had passed his driver's licence test.

My older brother, Sokka, had decided that because it was now his senior year in high school, it wouldn't be "manly" if he showed up to school with his girlfriend in one seat and his baby sister in the other. Not that Suki would have cared if I rode with them, she was only a year older than me and we got along quite nicely. But no, my nut-brained brother would not stand for his junior of a sister to do anything that could potentially ruin his manly pride

Stupid Sokka.

Now, because of him, I had to catch the bus to school everyday. A bus that came to pick me up way too early in the morning, reeked of forgotten deodorant, sounded like children squeezing the life out of wailing cats, and hit every pot hole it possibly could. Four more months of torturous bus riding and I would finally be free.

Four more months and Sokka would be graduated, wearing the Artic Wolf sweaters in the dorms of North Cliff University, I would get a licence and the old truck, and I would be a senior.

People at our school were always excited to grow up and get out. Becoming a sophomore meant three more years of high school, one step closer to freedom. Passing your junior year meant one more year of high school and one final step to the ultimate freedom.

It wasn't that people absolutely hated our school -even if I did- they just hated school in general.

Freedom High's varsity soccer team was the top one in the division. Soccer was a major event for our school, because there was nothing else we could stand a chance at winning. No one even stood a chance against the Southern Tundra Polar Bear Dogs in hockey, the Ember Island Phoenixes dominated the volleyball courts, the Gaoling Public Badger Moles hadn't lost a baseball game yet -although how they managed to be a competitor in the first place when their number one pitcher was blind was beyond anyone's knowledge- and Saint Roku Preparatory Dragons were like a fire from hell on the basketball courts. Not that it mattered, soccer had a special place in our hearts at Freedom High. A special place that was temporarily being replaced with the general hype of today's upcoming basketball game against the reigning champions: Saint Roku Preparatory.

I stepped off the brightly coloured bus and made my way to the red brick school, noticing how posters of burgundy and white decorated the exterior walls -already cheering on our team that was leaving in an hour to the school of the Dragons- and readjusted the straps on both my backpack and gym bag. There was little doubt in my mind that we were going to lose. After all, even though we had a top notch player like Suki on our team, the Dragons were better. Every one of their players were as good as Suki. We just had her.

Suki and I were the only girls that passed try outs for the boys' basketball team after the girls' team folded. Suki wasn't on speaking terms with her friends for a few weeks after that happened. They were fine now, after a long explanation to their former captain that they had to quit because they couldn't handle all the sports and school work like she could. Suki forgave them. For the most part.

The wind whipped through my braided hair that I had tied earlier this morning. _Great. All my skirts were in the laundry and now my hair is a mess too._ I pulled the hood of my rain coat and tried to keep myself from stomping the rest of the way to the front entrance. _Some morning._

I watched as teachers filed into the classroom, and other students that showed up early tried to find something to entertain themselves with before class began. Slowly, counting the steps after every corner and on each staircase, I made my way to my locker.

B. K. T. The rusty door hinges creaked open as I finished entering the combination, and I tossed my backpack onto the bottom and deposited my coat on the last surviving hook. Once Sokka graduated, I was going to transfer out of this place.

The only reasons we were both still stuck at Freedom High was because it was the only one that had a bus that stopped in our neighbourhood. Sokka could have drove us to another school once he got his licence, but when we tried to transfer, no one had room for juniors or seniors. They did, however, say they could potentially make an exception if I applied during the summer. As soon as my brother graduated and I got the truck, I was transferring to Southern Tundra and becoming a Polar Bear Dog.

Southern Tundra was where both of my parents had attended when they were younger. The closer I felt to my mother, the more at ease I believed my heart would be. I had never felt at peace at my current school like I would when I was at home or near water.

Thundering noises echoed off the walls of the dimly lit hallway and immediately the phrases "fight or flight" and "eat or be eaten" popped into my mind. As soon as my brain passed it's message to my feet, I bolted for the exit at the end of the hall. _Run, Katara, run! You will not die from a herd of wild boys trying to trample you._ To my luck, the bus scheduled to take the basketball team to Saint Roku Preparatory was waiting in the parking lot.

I had barely flung myself into the front seat of the bus before a hoard of smelly teenage boys were shoving themselves towards the back seats. Loud and already covered in sweat before our first game, the boys chuckled and joked about how much muscle they had gained since the last time we had faced the Dragons. Bound and determined that the muscle was what gave them every edge and advantage over our opponents, they whooped and hollered about how this game was "in the bag". Too bad for them, if we didn't have our ace in the hole, they couldn't have beat Omashu Elementary if they wanted to.

Suki, our proverbial basketball queen, glided effortlessly onto the bus and slid into the seat across from mine. Her baggy, camo, cargo capris and black tank top that showed off her toned arms and calves gave her a much more intimidating appearance than when she had my brother at her side. We waved to each other, and she opened her mouth to speak, before she was interrupted by a voice in the back.

"Hey, Katy!" One of the boys shouted as the bus lurched into motion. I peaked down the aisle to see that it was Jet, that captain of our team. "Where's your fancy skirts? Never seen you without 'em."

"Kah-tar-ah. It's not that hard, really, _Jet,_ " I said deliberately slow, carefully enunciating each syllable. The boys surrounding him began to laugh at his expense and elbow him until he glared at them all. "And it's called doing laundry -something you apparently still need to do."

He turned his attention back to me, a sly, smirk that left a sickening feeling in my stomach crept onto his lips. "Okay, fine. But, 'Tara, this ain't over."

I gave him a harsh glare of my own. It was never over with Jet. Once something was started, he had to be the one to finish it. If something caught his attention, he either had to have it or had to do something about it. He had his own reasons for having such a hatred against Saint Roku's Dragons. I was never told the full story at once, but with the bits and pieces I had heard over the years, I had somewhat figured it out.

When Jet was a freshman -new to high school sports and high school drama- the Freedom High Buccaneers participated in a basketball tournament at Saint Roku. The tournament was a major success for the Buccaneers, having come in second place for the first time in twelve years. But as a freshman, Jet didn't know who to talk to and who not to, and it just so happened to be that Jet had let his mouth get him in trouble once more and decided to flirt with a girl. When said girl refused Jet's attempts, he took offence. When Jet refused to back down, members of the Dragons had him covered in his own blood, broken, and bruised worse than an apple in a blender. Or so the story goes.

To this day, Jet has held a grudge on the entire school, even though most of the people in the attack had long since graduated.

Suki offered me a sympathetic look, but we both knew a simple glance wouldn't do anything wouldn't do anything against Jet and his cronies if it was truly needed. It was a good thing I had Suki on my side; I didn't stand a chance against them all alone.

The bus pulled up to the pristine school of the Dragons after another half an hour. White buildings placed around the property like a maze were connected by matching hallways to the main building in the centre. Smooth walkways broke up the large expanses of green grass and cherry blossom trees. All of it was fenced in by a lard red fence and golden gate.

I felt my jaw drop.

This place was on a whole other level than Freedom High in every way possible. Students in expensive, brand name clothing roamed the court yard, their stylish outfits so different than the everyday outfits at Freedom High. I looked down at my own outfit -a white tank top and a pair of old, worn out jeans- and suddenly felt more insignificant than ever before.

One at a time, we all filed off the bus, led by our coach, Jeong Jeong, and made our way past the golden plated doors at the entrance and down a brightly lit hallway to the gym. The ceilings of Saint Roku Preparatory were high, arching like an observatory above the main floor and the balconied walk ways on the second level. Dark wooden beams held up the circular ceiling from the black marble floors.

People watched as we walked through their school, some of them openly gawking at our "rustic" appearances. I adjusted the strap of my gym bag and tried to keep from staring at them too much. Something about Jet's background with the school and the way everyone seemed so against outsiders gave me an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach. But then I saw one group of teenagers, three girls and a guy, in front of the doors to the gymnasium, that I couldn't seem to take my eyes off of. They gave off a whole other vibe of "rich, powerful, and you're not welcome".

The first girl, and the tallest of the three, barely spared anyone a passing glance as she occupied herself with cleaning her already immaculate finger nails with the blade of a pocket knife. Her long, straight hair and bluntly cut bangs were picture perfect, just like her sheer, floor length skirt and combat boots.

A short spunky looking girl, bounced at the front of the group. She had a crimped long bob hairstyle that looked as if she slept with it in braid every night. A white crop top and matching skirt signified her position as a cheerleader of the Dragons. Compared to the other three she hung out with, she was by far the least intimidating.

The male, taller than the tallest of the girls by at least half a head, had hair swept in a side part that was so dark brown, he could've easily been mistaken as raven haired. He wore a dark red hoodie and a pair of black, ripped jeans, and heavy boots indoors, yet somehow didn't look anywhere near an overheating temperature. When he turned and caught me staring too long, I quickly shifted my gaze to the floor in front of me, but not before I noticed a harsh red scar covering the upper left portion of his face. His eyes were molten. I couldn't be certain what shade exactly his eyes were, but it was as if every fiery colour burned within them.

I glanced back up once I thought he wasn't looking anymore, and took the chance to gaze at the last girl. She wore tall stilettos and a leather jacket that was left open, showing off her blood red shirt beneath. Her hair was slicked back into a large bun on the top of her head, not a single strand out of place.

The more I stared, the more I thought that she and the boy had to have been related somehow. The only difference, besides the obvious, was that although both their eyes sparked with a kind of unforeseen fire, his flickered as if he was unsure of something I couldn't quite put my finger on, while hers left you with a feeling of burning destruction.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and whipped around to find that Suki was motioning for me to keep up with our group. I shook my head to clear my thoughts and continued following Coach Jeong Jeong and the rest of the team down towards the locker rooms. Suki and I placed our bags on the bench in the centre of the girl's room and decided to explore the school, killing time before our game.

Down the halls and past the countless amounts of corners, doors, and people in the hallway, I ended up losing track of Suki. Cursing myself for not paying closer attention, I turned back and found myself being herded by a very large crowd of people all heading to the same place.

The cafeteria.

 _You've gone and done it now, Katara. You're so intelligent that you allowed yourself to be herded into a room full of potentially dangerous people who apparently don't like outsiders all that much_. Ducking my head below the shoulders of the crowd, I tried to squeeze my way through the crowd pouring into the cafeteria for lunch. People bumped into me as I weaved my way through the expensively dressed students.

Next thing I knew, I was covered in water.

My shirt was soaked thoroughly, and it clung to me like a second skin. My white shirt.

Without a second thought I crossed my arms over my chest and attempted to wiggle my way through the crowd and back to the locker room. I hadn't even made it three steps before a foreign hand clamped tightly around my arm, whipping my the other way. It felt like being stared down by a nightmare. From locked fingers, to stiff and veiny arm, to the devilish smirk of my own team's captain as he held an empty water bottle up.

If I wasn't completely sure before, the glint in his eyes took away any doubt. "That's a sharp outfit, Katy. Or maybe I should say _wet_?" His fist tightened around my arm and his nails dug into the skin around me elbow.

I hissed at Jet. Driving my heel into his foot, I yanked my arm free and bolted past the students of Saint Roku, not caring if I shoved anyone over in the process of my escape. I could hear footsteps trailing after me, feel the hot tears as they poured in streams down my cheeks. I could only pray I knew where I was going as I sprinted as fast as I possibly could with my arms tucked across my chest. One foot in front of the other, I continued down a path unknown as the tears blurred my vision making it impossible to see. That is, until I hit something so hard that I nearly fell backwards onto the floor.

Strong arms gripped my waist and kept me from toppling over.

I wiped my eyes and opened them slightly to see that I had knocked into someone in an empty hallway. I gave a muttered apology and turned to continue down the hall, but the person in a black t-shirt kept their hands on my waist. It was only then that I got a good look at who the person was that I crashed into.

The boy from earlier this morning.

"Stay here," he mumbled in a husky voice, still keeping a hand attached to my waist as he turned to one of the lockers and began spinning the combination for it.

"I-I have to go," I stammered, hearing rapid footsteps echoing down the hall. It was more than one set. I needed to leave. One on one, I could have fought for myself, but not a group of them. And not in this situation. "Let me go. I need to get out of here." I tried to jerk my way from his hold, keeping my arms crossed over my chest. This boy was much stronger than Jet was though, and his well toned arms were proof of that.

"Wait."

"No. I can't. I have to go. You need to let go of me. They're coming for me. I can't let anyone see me like this. You shouldn't even be seeing me like this!"

The locker he had been trying to open clicked and before I could tell what was going on, a dark red hoodie was tossed at my head and I was given the command to put it on. I was about to protest, but at the far end of the hall I could just make out Jet winding a corner being closely followed by a couple of his cronies. They made a beeline straight for us.

Hurriedly, I stuffed myself into the oversized sweater that smelled oddly of campfires and mint.

I tugged on the boy's arm, knowing full well I couldn't get someone a foot taller than me, and much more muscular, to move unless they wanted to. He didn't budge an inch. "Come on! He's coming after me. If he saw you trying to help me, he'll go after you too."

The boy glanced my way, and I saw the corner of his mouth turn up just the slightest on the unscarred side of his face. "Get going. I'll save you from the pirates. Besides, I have a score to settle with this one anyway."

I didn't move until he started to push me towards the doors at the end of the hallway.

From behind the windows of the closed doors, I could easily see how the boy lined up to face Jet like he had been waiting too long to return a well deserved punch to the jaw. I watched as they both squared themselves to their opponent and prepared for the fist fight of a lifetime, but I didn't stick around much longer. I knew that the boy had sent me away for a reason and I wasn't going to jeopardize his sacrifice.

* * *

A quick series of knocks sounded on the girls' change room door outside of Saint Roku's gymnasium.

I pulled the sweater back over my head, my tank top still wet from before the game.

We had ended up losing our game against the Dragons by a long shot. With Jet and his lackeys in the nurse's office waiting to be picked up by our principal, our team was on edge. The boys had no idea what had happened to our "oh faithful leader", and Suki didn't bother to ask me what had happened when she registered the look on my face when I had entered the dressing room.

Suki opened the door just a crack and stuck her head out. Mumbled words were exchanged between her and whomever was on the other side of the door. She closed the door and turned towards me. "There's a boy in the hall. He wanted to know if you'd like to talk before we have to go home."

I nodded and slung my gym bag over my shoulder. I peaked out the door, much like Suki had just moments before. The boy from earlier leaned against the opposite wall, and besides some bruised knuckles and swollen cheek, that I had noticed during the game against him, there was little to no damage received on his end. It almost made me what kind of wounds Jet was suffering if he was barricaded to the nurses office during the game while this guy was allowed to play and had no issue being the top scorer in the game.

The door closed with a dull thud behind me and a slowly made my way over to him.

"Hey," he said so quietly that I wouldn't have known had I not been paying attention to the way his lips moved. His face appeared as if it was frozen in a permanent grimace making him look like he hated everything, but his eyes held a warm light that said otherwise.

"Hi."

He tilted his head and pushed himself off the wall, motioning me to follow him. I did. "I see you're still wearing my sweater." My cheeks flushed and I nervously toyed with the edges of one of the sleeves. A calloused but gentle hand touched my fingers, calming them instantly. "Don't worry. Red looks good on you."

The colour of the sweater wasn't what I was worried about, but I didn't make a fuss. It wasn't until we were out of the athletic hallway that I was struck with curiosity. "What's your name?"

Zuko," he stated simply.

"Oh. My name is Katara." He nodded but didn't say much else. After a few more minutes of this, I became antsy and had to ask more questions. Why would he ask me to talk if he didn't want to say anything? "Why did you help me today?"

He barely even shrugged as he kept his gaze forward and his steps even and soundless. "You're not from around here."

"What kind of grudge do you have against Jet?"

He paused, his paced footsteps faltering for the slightest of moments. "It's a long story."

"I've got time."

Zuko let out a long sigh. "Jet isn't the only one that can hold grudges, you know? When I was in my freshman year, my school hosted a basketball tournament that your school participated in. Jet and I used to be rivals in elementary school when it came to sports, so naturally, when high school came around, the same thing happened. When it was our turn t play against the pirates," he said the false mascot name like it left a foul taste in his mouth, "Jet learned that as long as the refs weren't looking directly at him, he could get away with a lot more than was remotely fair or legal. He was known as 'the pirate ship's devil' back then.

"When it came to the end of our game, my team had not only won, but I had out scored Jet, and he didn't take that too well. After a few outbursts and swears, he regained some of his composure and thought it would be a great idea to flirt with both my girlfriend at the time, and my sister, Azula. My sister didn't take is so well, claiming that someone of lower class should never have the audacity to talk to someone of her social ranking. It wasn't long before my sister had assembled her miniature army. She, my girlfriend at the time, and their mutual best friend. Those three alone are like a hurricane of fire, knives, and paralysis.

"Jet didn't stand a chance against them, and neither did the rest of his team. Luckily for him, he was able to walk away in the end, but my sister and her friends were never officially punished for what they did. A few days later, my father had sent one of his employees to pick up my sister and I from the school. Azula was running late that day, held up by one of her teachers for interrupting and proving the instructor wrong. As my father's employee went inside to pull her out of class, I made my way to the car. Just as I left the school, I noticed someone walking away from the car. Someone that looked way too similar to Jet. I opened the car door and the next thing I knew, I was in the hospital with my uncle sitting in the chair next to my bed as doctors leaned over my head and pressed thick pads of gauze to my face." Zuko touched his scarred eye briefly, but rapidly withdrew his hand when he caught me staring.

"I'm sorry." I didn't know what else to say. Jet was awful, but to be a downright monster? He had a reputation for getting harsh revenge on anyone that opposed him or embarrassed him publicly. After what Zuko did to help me, I could only hope he would be suspended or expelled. At least until I could transfer out of Freedom High and into Southern Tundra.

Zuko shook his head but refused to meet my eyes. "Don't be. You didn't do it."

Another moment of silence passed as we neared the main entrance.

I decided to ask him one final question before I had to leave. I didn't know when or if I was ever going to see him again. "Zuko, how did you know I wasn't from here? It's not like anyone around here wears uniforms or anything."

"You mean besides the fact that you don't fit in whatsoever with any of the students here?"

I gave him a miniature glare of my own but nodded anyway. The door that led outside opened and we carried on down the paved path towards the old, yellow school bus waiting in the midday sun.

Suddenly, I was trapped in one spot as golden eyes of fire bore intently into my own. It was almost as if warmth radiated off of him just by simply looking into them. "Your jeans. I've never seen anyone with jeans the exact same colour as their eyes."

"You knew I didn't attend you school because of my _jeans_? You're insane."

The corner of his mouth curved up. "Yes and no. There's no one around this part of town with eyes like yours. The fact that your jeans were exactly the same shade as your eyes was -I'm guessing- purely coincidence."

I stared at him in disbelief, continuing towards the bus. "You've barely looked at me in the eyes at all."

He shrugged, his smirk deepening the slightest. "Or 'cause I saw you walking in the school with a group wearing Freedom High track jackets and carrying gym bags."

I stopped a step shy of the bus stairs and turned back to face him. "You, Zuko of the Dragons, are completely and utterly insane. If you want your sweater back, you'll have to come to my side of town to get it." I gave him a large grin to let him know I was both serious and trying to make a joke at the same time. I climbed the last few steps onto the bus, and as the driver shut the door, I slid into the same seat I had been in on the way too the game.

I leaned my head against the window and stuck my nose into the shoulder of Zuko's sweater, inhaling the smoky mint scent as we drove away.

I smiled to myself silently as I watched his figure disappear from sight as the bus round a curve in the road. This was definitely not going to be the last time we saw each other.


	2. Electrifying

A short story for Day 2 of Zutara Week 2008.

In case anyone will be confused later on, I have bumped up the ages of all the character by three years. Nothing dramatic will have changed from before _Sozin's Comet Part 1_ , and if anything has, it will be explained during the story.

* * *

It had been blistering hot for the last week at Zuko's home on Ember Island. Of course, as a summer vacation home, it was sort of to be expected. The air had a high concentration of humidity in it, and with Sozin's comet less then two weeks away, everyone was trying to train hard despite the heat wave.

I spent most of my days either in front of the stove, watching and participating in sparring matches, and practicing my water bending in the water. When I was in the ocean, I could finally escape everyone's bickering and become one with the water. The feeling as the waves lapped at my thighs, watching as colourful, little fish would swim between my feet, I felt more at home in the ocean then I ever did in the Northern Water Tribe when we had visited. I missed my own home, the Southern Water Tribe, as well, but until Aang defeated the Fire Lord and the war was finished, I didn't think I would ever be able to return home and know that I had abandoned my quest to help Aang and save the world.

I missed home. I missed the way the children would shriek with laughter as they pelted each other with packed snowballs, the way a father would hug his family after an extended fishing trip, the smell of something always cooking in every house as you passed by their doors as you finished your chores. I missed the way my family would huddle together in our house on an especially cold night, how my mother would wrap her arms around my stomach and tuck my under her chin as she leaned against my father who held Sokka in his lap.

Mom. My fingers involuntarily reached for the carved amulet that hung off the blue ribbon around my neck. It had been such a long time since I had seen my mother. The way her eyes would sparkle when my father enveloped her in one of his famous hugs, how her skin would stand out against the snow and reflect the sunlight like no one else's could.

Thinking about mom just after she died used to put my in crippling fits of broken down sobs and unyielding tears. As I grew older, my tantrums of tears had diminished into rare occurrences and the hole that had developed after her passing became a sharp pain every time someone brought her up. Eventually, after confronting my mother's murderer, those stabbing sensations turned into dull aches that disappeared just as soon as they had come. Pain that I had directed at an innocent man who broke my trust but tried with everything he had just so I wouldn't hate him with my entire being.

When Zuko had been given a spot on our team, I loathed every single detail about him. When he offered to help me find my mother's murderer, I was ready to toss him over the edge of Appa's saddle without a moment's notice. But Zuko really tried to gain a spot on the other side of my hatred line, and soon enough, I stopped thinking of him as a mortal enemy and started to see him as an ally, and then, even a friend.

I don't remember much of my encounter with Yon Rha besides the rain, blood bending, and the icicles dangling in mid-air, but that night before we packed up Appa and made our way back to our friends, was the first time I had experienced something like that ever.

* * *

 _The rain was relentless as it sprayed down in sheets. My hair clung to my face and neck, and I could feel it as it soaked through the only extra change of clothing I had brought. I was anxious to get back to someplace that was dry and sit in front of a warm fire as my clothes dried._

 _I was supposed to be a water bender. The water wasn't supposed to affect me like this. I could have just bent it away from Zuko and I, but we were in the Fire Nation, and unless it was essential, water bending shouldn't be used purely for satisfaction._ _I shook my head at myself. Was I not contradicting myself right now? Had I not just used my water bending abilities just to receive satisfaction from the fear of my mother's murderer?_

 _A warm hand rested on my shoulder, and I followed it to where Zuko held his place just a step and a half behind me. He didn't turn his eyes to look at me as we continued to trudge our way through the mud that led to the cave where we had kept our things, just offered what he could for platonic comfort._

 _The shelter of the cave couldn't have come any sooner, and in no time, Zuko had the pile of wood we had stacked in the corner earlier on fire for warmth. I quickly made work of bending the water off of us, then I took a seat in front off it, my back facing Zuko and the cave wall as I tried to get as warm as possible after walking through the bone chilling rain._

 _My body felt as if it were made of a thick stew. After all the sleep exhaustion, physical exertion, and emotional thoughts that had swirled through my mind, it felt like it must have been a miracle that my mind wasn't in the same sleep ridden haze that my body was._

 _Since Zuko came to us at the Western Air Temple, I was anxious -no, furious and worried- that he might betray us again. Aang. Me. I lost hours of sleep each night as I listened for anything out of the ordinary, watched for any signs that didn't quite add up. The days he and Aang went to look for the secret to fire bending or when he and Sokka had disappeared for a week on a 'so called' hunting trip and brought our dad back, I had nearly lost it. All my mind would allow me to think about was the safety of my new family, how they could be so stupid for trusting this boy. This man._ _When Azula had shown up practically on our doorstep, shouting wretched things at her older brother, I was prepared to send him straight to her, thinking, for a moment, that he had led her straight to us, bringing us to a death of explosions, falling pieces of what was once beautiful architecture, dropping out of the sky and falling into the ravine below. Even as he dove into my side to save me from a falling piece of the ceiling, I was still angry at him, believing that he either only wanted to earn my trust to brake it again, or keep me as a valuable prisoner that he could use as leverage against my family, the Water Tribes, or even Aang. I didn't even trust him enough to go to bed before he did, and I made sure I was up before him as well._

 _But when Zuko offered to take me to get revenge on my mother's murderer, especially after blaming her death on him when it couldn't have been his fault, I was quick to take him up on it. Although I still hadn't let myself trust him completely, I still went with him, but stayed up extra long as I flew Appa, took double the look out shifts, and kept up with my bending all while trying to move around as stealthily as a ninja. As the Blue Spirit._

 _Now, as we huddled in front of the fire, I could see in his eyes that he desperately wanted me to trust him, and if not that, at the very least, to stop hating him. He didn't look at me, nor did he look anywhere near me. He kept his eyes of the fire, the light from the flames seeming to ignite a fire within his very eyes. It looked as if flames danced across his golden irises and sparks flew that flew as wild as the winds were calmed at just the mere sight of the Fire Prince._

 _And all at once, I found that I truly wanted to forgive him. Trust him like I trusted the others, care for him as if he had been a part of our dysfunctional, misfit family. I didn't want to have this guilt of knowing I had absolutely hated someone that was trying to make the life of him and those around him better as an apology. I didn't want to continue to hate some I knew was trying, someone who helped me the best that he could just so I could finally get some form of peace or healing over the grief that my mother's death had caused._

 _"Thank you," I whispered across the warmth of the fire. "You didn't have to help me find my mother's killer, but you did, and for that, I am grateful."_

 _He nodded and his mouth opened as if he wished to say something in return, but it was closed before any sound had come out. Instead, he just nodded his head, the simple gesture saying that he both understood and accepted my thank you. Zuko opened his mouth again but it was closed just as quick. He ran a hand through his thick, dark hair and gave a nearly inaudible sigh._

 _I couldn't pin point the feeling I had flying around my heart. The feeling that my restless mind was going to explode if I didn't share whatever was going on in there with someone. Someone whom I now trust._

 _"I miss her -my mom. I remember the way she used to light up the room with a single smile, the smell of food over the fire as she prepared it with my grandmother." His eyes finally came up to meet mine, the first time since he had confronted me about his idea to find the Southern Raiders. I found my eyes falling to where my hands hand linked fingers with themselves in my lap. "I'm starting to forget her though. Every time I try to remember they angle of her chin, the way her funnel nose used to twitch just the slightest when she became angry with Sokka and I. I guess it would be hard to imagine that her image is slipping from my mind with the way I describe her, but it's the little things like that that are escaping me. I'm afraid that eventually, I won't be able to remember her when I think about her. That I'll say 'mom' but the picture of her will no longer appear to go along with the title."_

 _"I know."_ _Shocked that he had finally spoken since our encounter with Yon Rha, my eyes shot up like lightening as it struck a lone tree in a field. "I know what you mean. My mother was a princess, beautiful enough to be called one even if she had not married my father. Her smooth, porcelain skin, raven hair, and eyes that couldn't be captured by the most skilled painter in the entire Fire Nation." The way he talked about his mother, it was obvious he idolized her._

 _"Your mother sounds incredible. You must really love her."_

 _A flash of pain passed by his eyes before he answered. "Yeah, she was my everything when I was a child. The day she left was only a day after we found out my cousin had passed away. It was also the day my father and sister's tormenting escalated."_

 _Zuko laid back against his sleeping mat, turned to face the wall so his back was to the fire, and folded his arm behind his head like a pillow. I supposed he was tired, and with Appa covering the front of the cave, I wasn't too concerned with the approach of someone while we slept, so I copied him and laid on my back to stare at the ceiling._

 _After a few minutes of silence, a curious thought appeared, and I broke the silence with a whisper, "Zuko?"_

 _He grunted softly in response._

 _"Are you awake?"_

 _"Yeah, Katara. I'm awake."_

 _He didn't sound to upset that I had interrupted his progress in falling asleep so I continued. "Zuko, have you ever heard of the Blue Spirit? I heard a few villagers talking about it a while back but I never thought to ask."_

 _There was a small sound as if all the muscles in his in body had tensed. "Why did you want to know?"_

 _"Just wondering. I've heard of HeiBai, the Painted Lady, and Wong Shi Tong, but the Blue Spirit isn't one of the Water Tribe spirits and I hadn't heard of it until we were in one of the Fire Nation villages, so I figured, as a someone born and raised in the Fire Nation, that you might know what it is." I kept my eyes trained on the roof of our temporary home, tracing invisible lines between the cracks and stalagmites._

 _"The Blue Spirit used be known to move as stealthily as the night, but he wasn't always called the 'Blue Spirit'. The old legends used to say that a handsome man, draped in clothing whiter then snow, was in charge of the safe keeping to an amazing spirit, her beauty could not be compared to anything in either world. I think you mentioned her name -the Painted Lady? Eventually, the White Spirit fell in love with her, claiming her was captivated not only by her exquisite face, but by how her heart was just as magnificent as her looks. He wanted to be the kind of spirit that she could proud of, even if she didn't fall in love, so when the humans would requests him with prayers of helping keep their families safe, he obliged. But as the people of the human world asked him to come back and help more and more often, the Painted Lady grew lonely._

 _"See, she had fallen in love with the White Spirit like he had with her. As the graceful and divine spirit that she was though, she never complained, for she knew that he was working just as hard as she was to help the humans she cared so much about. But rumors spread about the White Spirit. Rumors about his malicious acts against the people, and then, his drowning. One day, after the lies and rumors had become too much for her, the Painted Lady wept. She was ashamed that she loved such a cruel being, heart broken that the man she loved had died even if his kind acts had turned into shameful deeds._

 _"The Painted Lady stood on the shore where the love of her life passed away, and tears streamed down her face. Those that landed in the water, solidified together and created him a mask the exact shade of blue as her eyes, and those that landed on the sand, mixed with the dirt and permanently stained his clothing black. 'The clothing of the fallen warrior', is what the citizens of the human world that still had a spark of hope that he was still good. But generations past and people forgot of the good things the White Spirit had done, and his name was forgotten overtime as well. While he was never evil and had never done a harmful thing towards the humans who prayed his protection, with the name faded and all the good he had done forgotten, the people named him after his new face. He became the Blue Spirit._

 _"Sad and alone, the colour blue suited him well. It reminded him of the love he had lost every time he looked in the mirror. As for the Painted Lady? She was never told that the stories about him were lies, nor that he was alive. She lived her days helping the poor and the sick, smiling to every person she ever came across, but the smile never reached her eyes. Together, they were apart from each other, and separated, they were the living dead."_

 _"Ignorance is bliss." It was the first thing that came to mind._

 _Zuko turned around on his met and starred at me puzzled. "What?"_

 _"Ignorance is bliss," I repeated. "I can't help but think that the phrase doesn't suit the Painted Lady in this story. I mean, sure she was never told of the White... Blue Spirit still being alive, but it wasn't like she was happy with not knowing that the man she loved, and thought betrayed her, wasn't really dead. She was miserable, just like he was."_

 _"I guess I've never thought about it that way," he murmured. I couldn't tell if he was talking to me or himself though. "I told you a story, I'd like to hear one from you too, if you'd let me."_

 _I felt a shock zip its way through my stomach. Panic. "Me? What story am I supposed to tell you? You've probably grown up hearing these incredible tales of heroes fighting dragons and saving the day as they rescue a poor damsel from some tower."_

 _His eyes never left my face. "I'm curious," he stated, obviously copying my previous statement. I wanted to glare at him, but I had just pestered him out of what could have been a half asleep state so I decided to keep it to myself._

 _"What would you like to hear then?" I crossed my fingers in the dark, hoping that the light of the fire didn't give it away._

 _He was silent for a moment, possibly pondering what he wished to be told. I couldn't help the hope that maybe he wouldn't know what to ask and I wouldn't have to tell him any stories. "The Moon Spirit. Zhao. He killed the white fish, didn't he?" There was another pause and a look of remembrance crossed his marred features before he spoke up again, "Sokka told me a little while ago how his first girlfriend turned into the moon."_

 _A pin pricked against my heart at the mention of her. "Yue. That was Sokka's first girlfriend."_

 _"So, does she have anything to do with the Moon Spirit?"_

 _I tried to remember the story that Yue has told us as we were huddled together on top of Appa all those months ago. "Yue was born ill, as if she were asleep, and even the best healers of her tribe were unable to heal her. Her parents were told to expect that she would die, so that night, her father prayed to the spirits to save her little girl, and placed her in the water of the Spirit Oasis. Her hair turned white, she began to cry, and her parents knew she would be okay._

 _"When Zhao killed the Moon Spirit, Yue gave her life back to the spirit. Her mortal life was given up to save her people. The life force that the Moon Spirit gave her when she was a child was given back and she became the moon."_

* * *

Hours on end, Zuko and I talked back and forth about things that happened in our past, stories we grew up with as children or heard along the way to defeating the Fire Lord, or our wishes of the future. For days this went on, us talking at night, even after we made it back to the others. Our conversations become more deep and intricate, as we relayed our deepest fears and darkest desires to each other.

My heart felt like it would beat in perfect synchronization with his as we sat in front if the fire together. At times, I thought I would imagine that the flames would show me the pictures that went along with his tales, and others, the sparks would dance across his golden irises as his face twisted just the slightest with any emotion he showed.

Sometimes I felt like he was all I could think about.

"Katara?" I whipped around to see Zuko standing on the beach, looking out into the water where I stood. His feet were planted in the sand just in front of where the waves could reach him. Although he could easily heat up the water if he thought it was too cold or heat up the access water off of him if the dampness bothered him, I hadn't seen him stick so much as a toe in the ocean since we arrived at his father's house.

I half wished that he would walk away and I could continue practicing my water bending, but the other half of me wished that he would join me in the water and we could talk more as our fingers turned to sea prunes in the water. "Yes, Zuko?"

Zuko tilted his head towards the red shingled house and pointed a thumb over his shoulder. "They've finished making supper."

"Oh." _Oh_. I felt my cheeks heat up like the early morning sun after a chilly night. I paddled my way to the shore, kicking past the seaweed and running through the shallower waters to catch up with Zuko who had already begun to head back to where everyone else rested. "I'm coming!"

Zuko handed me a red bundle as I caught up to him. Quickly, I bent the water off of myself and attempted to scramble into the clothes as I walked. It would have been a totally normal situation -me walking up to our friends in the middle of putting on clothing after a swim or a water bending session- accept my feet would not cooperate with my pant legs or skirts, and I ended up tumbling into Zuko from behind. I sent us both sprawling in front of the group, a tangled mess of limbs, with my pants only fully on one of my legs.

Once again, my cheeks were on fire, as I pulled myself off of Zuko and finished dressing. The looks on everyone's faces differed from person to person. My brother, Sokka, had a fork full of stewed pork and rice loaded up and prepared to enter his gaping mouth as his eyes switched between me and the boy pushing himself up off the ground. Suki gave us -or more specifically: me- each a sympathetic gaze and shook her head gently as she tried to keep a smile from creeping onto her face. Aang had a similar expression to Sokka's but his cheeks were as red as fire lilies. The only thing that broke us all out of our stunned trance was that disruptive, booming laughter of the little earth bending girl, who sat cross legged on a step of the stairs.

"You should feel all your heart beats right now! This is priceless!" Toph cackled, nearly tipping backwards as she leaned with every giggle.

"I'm so sorry, Zuko," I tried to apologized but Zuko shrugged off my hand when I tried to reach out to him, then he grumbled something about it not being a big deal and wandered off towards the steaming pot over the campfire. My mouth twitched into an unsatisfied grimace but I decided it was best to leave him alone.

I sat with the others and played a part in the mindless chatter that they gave, paying no attention to the sweetly sour tasting food. Zuko had taken a small bowl of food and disappeared inside the house alone.

 _What if I hurt him when I tripped over him? Did he hurt his ribs? Maybe skin his hands or knees?_ I felt terrible, the twisting feeling in my gut was a vice grip. I set down the half finished bowl next to my brother, hoping he would finish it off and the food wouldn't go to waste. I knew I couldn't eat any more, but Sokka had yet to turn down a good meal, even if it was just leftovers.

He must have seen the look on my face that I had tried to hide. In a calm, knowing voice, he muttered, "He's inside, Katara. I don't know if he wants to talk or not, he's been moody all day. Something about building courage?"

I nodded in acknowledgement. Maybe if Zuko didn't want to talk, it meant he was really angry with me and I shouldn't talk to him. I could go talk to him, try to find where he could possibly be hiding in this huge house of his father's, and potentially make him even more furious. Or I could go to my room and wallow in self pity because the newest member of my family was now treating me as an outcast.

Opting for the second option, I turned down the corridor and headed to my room, my feet making the wooden floors creak softly in the evening air. My mind wandered to how our daily, late night conversation would very likely not be occurring tonight, and how the air seemed much more humid and heavy then it did this morning.

The moment that the soft _pitter patter_ of raindrops as they hit the roof and windowsill, I knew exactly why the air felt so thick.

There was nothing my body wanted more then to go to sleep early for once. Exhausted from long nights of training, preparation, and travelling, the soft mattress in the corner of the room looked more than inviting.

I crawled onto the bed and was about to slip underneath the covers when I heard a soft tapping. The rain water couldn't have flown into my grip fast enough as I saw the intruder sticking their leg through the window and attempting to climb over the ledge.

My hands flowed without thought, sending the water back and then forth as it collided with the darkly clothed attacker and whipped his blue cheek.

A blue cheek that looked like it belonged to the face of an evil spirit.

The spirit hissed and gripped his cheek before throwing up his hands and whipping the mask off all in one motion.

 _Zuko_.

"Zuko! Oh no. I'm so sorry! I didn't mean t-" I trailed off when he held up his hand to signal me to stop. The vice grip in my stomach had turned into a thick, bubbling sauce. "I _really_ didn't mean it."

He brought his other leg other the wooden window ledge and rubbed the lower portion of his scar.

That was when I noticed the clothing that he wore was dark, the same outfit he wore as we hunted for my mother's murderer. But the mask. The mask on the floor was the same colour as the sky just as it begins to darken as the sun sets over the horizon. It looked old and worn, as if it was hundreds -no, thousands- of years old. He must have saw my gaze.

"I pulled it out of the lake before heading back to the Fire Nation with my sister. My uncle was with me when I let it go, and at the time, I took the words he said to heart. But after you left with Aang and I was supposed to be on my way back to the Fire Nation, I picked it up again. It felt like I would not only possibly need it in the future, but that a piece of me was missing without it."

"And what would you need such a mask for in the future?"

Suddenly, his mouth twisted into a sinister smirk, and I felt his arm snake around my waist and pull me against his chest as he tugged the blue mask back on over his head. I had watched him train daily with Aang, secretly enjoying the sight of his shirtless torso, but feeling his muscular body against my own was a strange addiction that I both wanted to keep but push away at the same time. "As the -one and only- Blue Spirit, I believe it is my duty to protect the Painted Lady and take her on adventures around the most dangerous country in the world."

Once again, I felt my cheeks burn up before I realized who exactly The Painted Lady was. "Zuko! How did you know that was me?"

He released his grip from around my waist, which I nearly sighed gratefully for, and transitioned to holding my hand instead. With his free hand, he pulled the mask back over top over his head. "The others were telling Suki and I about Sokka's idea of a good fish, and eventually, the conversation led to your secret identity as a Fire Nation spirit."

Lightning crackled and thunder rolled throughout the clouds above us. There was very little doubt in my mind that there was no one out in the downpour anymore. I stared at the smooth, wooden floors and decourative, red, woven blankets thrown across the end of the bed -a piece of furniture that wouldn't have fit inside Gran Gran's igloo no matter how hard we tried.

I imagined the type of lifestyle that Zuko lived with his family before he was banished. The relationships with his father and younger sister might have been constantly on the fritz but they never had to worry about being warm at night or putting food on the table.

Zuko released my hand and walked over to the chest of drawers that was placed against the wall perpendicular to the bed. He rummaged around each shelf, and with no clue what he was looking for, I had no intentions of stopping him. It wasn't as if I stored my stuff in the wide, storage box.

After a few minutes of this, he pulled out a pale looking dress, and a wooden box.

"Here," he said, handing me the long piece of cloth and the jar. "Before you say anything, my mother enjoyed the theatre and collected costumes over the years."

I nodded, and pried open the lid to the box, which revealed a wide brimmed, straw hat with a veil, and a clay jar containing red face paint that was similar to what Suki and her Kyoshi warriors used.

My mind couldn't wrap around why Zuko would give me such items. So, like the curious person I was, I just had to ask. "Zuko? What is all of this for? Why are you giving this to me?"

He took a seat of the edge of the bed but he never looked away from my own eyes when he began to speak. "Do you remember when you asked who the Blue Spirit was?" Once again, I nodded. He continued, "I lied about where he came from. Yes, he was originally the White Spirit who fell in love with a woman by the name of Vann, but at that time, the only thing stopping him from being with her like they both wished, was mortal life. He knew how important his job of protecting any human lived, travelled, or took shelter along the banks of the water was, and if he gave it up in order to have a mortal life with her, she would never forgive him.

"Vann spent her days healing the sick in the town of Jang Hui, and although his schedule was busy, he made sure to visit her every morning. But one day, he found that he could no longer see the woman he loved, for she lay in a pool of her own blood, her body burned to a crisp. From that day on, he swore that the people's protection was no longer important if they could not keep the one person he truly loved safe. He abandoned his humanity and entered the water, vowing to find the man that did that to his beloved.

"He committed horrific acts against the people of the Fire Nation, taking revenge on anyone he saw that bore the ability to control the flame. He was unaware that his love, Vann, had become a spirit herself, and was watching the cruel acts that he carried out. She wept for the loss of her loved one's morals and humanity, and her tears stained his clothing. He took on the new name of the 'Dark Water Spirit'. The Dark Water Spirit eventually found the culprit of Vann's death, the Dragon Emperor, and cursed him to live a mortal life, but that curse was broken when the emperor fell in love himself.

"Vann painted over the scars that her murder gave her and returned to Jang Hui to continue her original duty of protecting and healing the people that lived there, giving her the name of the Painted Lady. The only reason the Dark Water Spirit was given the name of the Blue Spirit was because I took the mask from my mother's collection, and by then, people had forgot that the Dark Water Spirit was a character from Love Amongst the Dragons, and gave me a new alias."

"Zuko? Why are you telling me this?"

The Fire Prince's unscarred cheek flushed red, and thought I could sense a mixed feeling of wanting to tell me and wanting to jump out the window. I wasn't far off my guess either, when he practically blurted out what he wished to say, "Will you be the Painted Lady to my Blue Spirit?"

And suddenly, it was as if my heart shattered. I was never really sure what I wished to do with my future, and when I thought of Zuko, I knew the reactions my body would give, but did _I_ want them to be true? And what did they mean? It took him months to come back after he left in favour of his sister, weeks for me to forgive him after he betrayed me then came back, and days to realize why I was so hurt by him leaving and why I refused to forgive him for so long.

I had feelings for Zuko.

The thought of Zuko liking me warmed my heart like no other could, but after a tragic tale like that and asking me to be the murdered woman, cursed to never be with the one she loved because of is terrible crimes? Why would I want that? Why would anyone want that? I didn't want to be alone. I didn't want to be murdered. I didn't want to love someone capable of murder or torture.

Warm, callused hands were placed on either side of my face and when I glanced up, my eyes were frozen my a pair of molten golden irises.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I didn't mean it like that."

I turned my face and pushed him away. I had no desire to be in the same room if all he wanted from me was to burn and wish that we could be together when it wasn't possible.

"Katara, wait!" He exclaimed as my hand gripped the door handle, preparing to leave the room. Maybe I would sleep in Suki or Toph's rooms if he wasn't gone by the time I came back. The sofas in the family room didn't seem too uncomfortable if those were out of the question. "I didn't mean it like that."

A small spark of fury lit up in my heart and lightning scattered across the sky, as if the thunderstorm brewing outside was effected by my own mood. Betrayel. He did it again. "You said that already, Zuko. Just what _did_ you mean?"

My face ended up between his palms again, and his lips were placed against my own. Warm and gentle, but full of passion and apologies that were still unsaid. When he pulled away, I was left with the burning sensation of desire, wishing for more. A kiss of lightning and

"I want to rewrite the story of the Painted Lady and the Blue Spirit. I want it to be about you and me. And I want you to help me."


	3. Smug

For starters, I will apologize for the extremely late update. I have many excuses, and at the same time, none at all. I can't promise that I will update regularly or even finish what I have started, but that doesn't mean I won't try.

As a second note, I want to say thank you to everyone who has waited for these stories, even if the stories had been put on the back burner for the better part of two years... and still are. I greatly appreciate everyone's patience throughout this time, and I hope we continue to move forward together, even if it continues to be slow.

* * *

It was winter again. Although the rest of the world had nights that lasted longer then days, the South Pole was blanketed in a constant darkness this time of year, and Katara's inner timer had been flipped upside down, backwards, spun on a top, and pulled apart. If it wasn't for Gran Gran waking her up for breakfast and begin her daily chores, Katara would never know when it was time to sleep and when it was time to go through the day.

"You know, that brother of yours never had this much trouble adjusting between the summer and winter months," Gran Gran said over her shoulder as Katara was about to take a large bite of her breakfast.

Sokka. That gullible, goof that only had girls and food on his mind. Of course he didn't have trouble adjusting. As soon as Gran Gran would begin making breakfast, Sokka would wake up because of the smell. And it would still be that way, if had it not been for his desire to visit his girlfriend who worked as a full-time guard of a certain ruler of a foreign nation.

A certain ruler whom she had missed dearly. Someone that she had to get off her mind.

Katara stuffed the rest of her breakfast in her mouth and mumbled a thanks to her grandmother. She packed the woven basket, filled with repaired clothes and blankets, and balanced it on her hip as she wandered through the dark village. As she padded through the snow, weaving her way through the streets and between the houses, Katara couldn't help but feel a mixture of bittersweet emotions creep into her heart. She remember the way the village looked before her mother passed away, and she remembered how small it had become after. It was small but it was home. And then her father and the men of the village left to go support the war, and the already small village had nearly disappeared among the snow, but it was still home to her. After she and her brother had left with Avatar Aang to help stop the Fire Nation from taking over the world, she had encountered many different cultures, cities, lifestyles, and found herself finding a piece of home everywhere around the world. But returning to the place she had thought she considered home had rapidly changed from a village on the brink of non-existence, to a growing city that didn't show any signs of slowing down.

With the end of the war marking the beginning of an era of peace, many citizens from the North Pole had migrated their way down to the South Pole with the intentions of helping their sister tribe. Katara had assumed that they would help build more stable homes and heal the sick and wounded, which they had done, but they didn't leave after it was all finished. Instead, they built homes for themselves, created relationships with the people of the south, and some had even begun to start families of their own.

A group of young Northern men -boys was a more appropriate term for most of them- stood around a fire that illuminated the village centre, laughing together and joking as they roasted their breakfast over the fire. After a few moments, the happy group began to disperse. Some returned to their homes where their wives waited in the doorways, and others joined the group of men heading towards the docks, preparing for their next fishing trip. One of the boys noticed Katara as she headed to the healing hut, the basket of linens still on her hip.

"Katara!" he shouted, attempted to catch her attention before the older guys roped him into helping them with loading the ship. Kahno was the boy's name. He was only a year older then she was, which happened to be the perfect age for hauling the heavier items around the village: 22. "Hey, Katara!" he said when he got closer, eyeing the basket resting on her hip. "Where are you headed?"

"Hello, Kahno," she said in a modest tone, covering her slight annoyance at his presence. "I'm on my way to the healing hut."

He smiled in his trademark style -his already thin upper lip nearly disappearing- and tucked the basket she was carrying under his arm, not so subtly trying to prove that he was one of the stronger warriors in the village. If her basket hadn't been so light and the rest of the trip so short, it would've been a move that she may have been grateful for. "I'll come with you."

Katara didn't want to have anything to do with Kahno this early in the morning. She knew that if she allowed him to tag along, he would follow her for the rest of the day, which would only give him the false hope that she was interested in pursuing a relationship with him. Not that it was anything new, Kahno had followed her throughout many a day, attempting to draw her attention to him with romantic intentions. She wished Sokka were here, then she wouldn't have to deal with any of the tribesmen who wanted her hand in marriage. Or better yet, the pale man with the golden eyes. He'd be able to ward off those men with just a glance alone.

No. She couldn't think that way. Her relationship with him didn't seem all that clear when she had left, and neither of them had succeeded in writing the other a letter over the past year since they had last seen each other. As much as her heart knew what it wanted, she knew that if she was ever going to make it through the day she had to get her mind off of him.

Katara turned back to Kahno, and was about to take back the basket and tell him that she was perfectly fine with doing her chores on her own, only to realize that he had went ahead of her, and was now waiting in front of the healing hut for her to catch up. She sighed inwardly, and went straight into the wooden building, not bothering to hold the door open for the boy. Kahno was clueless to her hint and followed her inside, a smile still on his lips.

Katara knelt by the beds of each of her patients and healed any wounds and sicknesses that they had. The folded clothes that she and her grandmother had repaired were returned to them as they went on their way home, and the blankets were placed at the end of Ahma's -the woman who cared for the patients while Katara was away- bed.

Ahma was a thin, frail looking woman in her mid-thirties with a bird-like nose, sunk in eyes, and a heart of gold. Out of the three women who had ventured down to the south to help out their sister tribe, she was the only one who had stayed after the rebuilding had become satisfactory. Many of the Northerners who knew her from before the move has suspected that she has stayed because she couldn't bare to face another day in the homeland after her husband had passed in the Siege of the North. She hadn't spoken much since then either. Ahma wasn't a bender of any kind, let alone one that was able to use bending as a healing ability, but she was a healer in her own right. Since she was a little girl back in the north, she had studied along side the female water benders and had picked up tips and tricks that would allow her to become the most proficient healer within both the Water Tribes that had no bending abilities.

Katara felt a hand being placed on her shoulder, and turned to see Ahma behind her with a grateful look on her face. Katara nodded in understandment and smiled knowingly before she took the basket from Kahno and went back outside. He missed the hint once again when the door nearly hit him in the forehead on his way out, and continued to follow Katara through the village.

She padded through the snow covered streets, taking notice to how her follower had abnormally heavy footsteps. This boy would never have survived outside of the Water Tribes during the war. Even her loud, obnoxious brother was better at keeping his movements quiet then Kahno.

She remembered the days when she would roam the Earth Kingdom with Sokka and Avatar Aang on a journey to the North Pole. They were just children back then, and too often they had had their lives put in danger for one reason or another. She remembered their journey to Ba Sing Se, their trip through the desert and the Serpent's Pass. She remembered their days spent in the Fire Nation, counting down the days until Aang would have to face the Fire Lord. Many times their endangerment had been of their own fault, but they had managed to stay alive one way or another. She knew that Kahno would've packed up his things and left for the North Pole long before the Fire Lord was defeated if he had to go through the same things that her group did.

Her group. Consisting of a short, stocky earth bending girl who was as good at mastering her element as she was stubborn, a carefree twelve-year-old boy who carried the weight of the world on his shoulders, a lanky teenage boy who cared more about the end results then the means to the end, an incredible teenage girl that led an all-girl group of warriors, herself, the overly passionate caretaker, and the older boy with glowing eyes and an attitude that burned like his element. Such a group of broken teens with harsh backgrounds had defied all odds and ended the Hundred Year War.

The fire in the village centre flickered, and she was reminded of the boy with the glowing eyes. She missed his shaggy hair, the way his mouth would turn up in a crooked grin, watching him exceed in both bending and non-bending forms of martial arts. She wanted to go back to the days where she was able to see him practice his bending as the sun rose across the horizon, and reminisce in old times together as they sat by a campfire in the evening.

 _Katara sat on the beach in front of Zuko's Ember Island vacation home. Everyone had gone to bed when the sun had begun to touch the horizon, so she sat alone, dragging her fingers through the soft sand. As she watched the burnt crimson sky slowly fade to a midnight blue, she reminisced about old times before the war had ended._

 _The last time the group had been at this spot together, they had taken a forced vacation. A time that was supposed to be relaxing but had ended up as a time they had tried to force themselves to relax by constantly having fun. This time, it was truly relaxing. They had no prior engagements to worry about for the time being and planned to do whatever they wanted whenever they wanted. For Katara, that meant staying up however late she pleased and sleeping in until she was no longer tired._

 _It had been four years since the end of the war and five years since she and her brother had been to their homeland. After this trip, everyone would go their separate ways and it was unsure when they would all meet up again. . She knew there was no point in being sad about it -they had spent the better part of five years together travelling the world, helping with the war efforts, and doing what they could to settle the aftermath of it all- but there was a sadness that tugged at her heart when she thought of her friends leaving._

 _Katara could feel a presence behind her as the ocean water lapped at her feet. Instinctively, she drew the water to her fingertips, taking a defensive position._

 _"Easy," a calm, hoarse voice said, noticing her uneasiness. It was Zuko. He sat in the sand beside her, crossing his feet under him to avoid the chill of the waves. "I'm the same way. Too much time living in the middle of a war. I'm always on edge."_

 _She wanted to agree with him and take comfort in someone else being able to understand her feelings and relate, but she didn't want to show that she was still affected by her years lived during the war. Instead, she allowed the water to drop from her fingers and create damp spots in the sand. She decided to ignore his statement and change the topic. "I thought you had gone to bed already."_

 _"I wasn't tired."_

 _She hummed in acknowledgement. The pair quietly for a while, the only sounds around them were the gentle rolling of the waves and the breeze fluttering through the leaves. After a moment, the awkwardness faded away and they were left in comfortable silence together._

 _Zuko was the first to break the silence. "What are your plans after we leave?"_

 _She hadn't really thought about it. She could follow Toph and meet her metal bending students, or join Aang in his latest quest to solve the unrest of the people of a mountain village haunted by spirits. There was also the option of going of on her own and seeing what else the world had to offer. "I don't know yet," she responded simply. "I might just go wherever Sokka goes."_

 _"If you still don't know by the time everyone leaves, you're more then welcome to come back to the palace with me and Suki. I can't make any promises that it will be very entertaining though."_ _She glanced at him, the first time she had really looked at him since he ad joined her on the beach. His expression was soothing and warm. Welcoming even._

 _Katara felt butterflies flutter around in her stomach and heat rise underneath her cheeks. It was the same way she had when she had met Jet for the first time, only this time, it felt like it something more within her. Something that pulled her to him. When had these feelings started and why hadn't she noticed them before? Was this what it felt like to be in love?_

 _She dismissed the thought. Zuko was her friend; a friend that she had fought both against and side-by-side in the middle of a war. A friend that had risked his life to save hers, and she for his. There was nothing more to it. A very dear friend that she could share any secret she had with. What good could come from her having a crush on the ruler of a foreign nation? It was better that she ignore these feelings and move on with her life._

 _She stood up and began to walk towards the beach house. Maybe after she slept for the night, she would be rid of these foolish feelings._

 _But that wasn't the case._

 _By morning, she had tossed and turned so often while thinking about him that she was already awake by the time she heard Aang and Zuko head outside for their morning practice._

 _Katara watched from the window as the two shot bursts of flames at each other, taking notice of how they had changed since the war. Aang had grown from a cute, carefree kid to a lanky teen, that had grown to be a couple inches taller then Sokka. The weight on his shoulders seemed to have all but disappeared completely, and he seemed much more mature then he had in past years. Zuko was still the tallest of the boys, but his muscular teenage body was now that of a man, making his entire appearance all the more enchanting and intimidating. His hair was no longer the shaggy mop that hung in his eyes, but long, silky black hair that fell just beneath the bottom of his shoulder blades._

 _The golden pin from Zuko's top knot reflected in the sunlight and brought her out of her daze._

 _Every time Aang's back was to her, her eyes would meet with Zuko's and the corner of his mouth would quirk up just enough to let her know that he knew she was watching. Every blast of flames from him became gradually stronger as he sparred with Aang, until eventually the match was called and Aang headed inside. Once he was out of sight, Zuko walked straight up to her window and leaned on the edge._

 _"Like what you saw?" He questioned in... was that a_ flirty _tone he used?_

 _"It was very entertaining," she replied nonchalantly. "But I thought you could've done better."_

 _"Maybe if I would've known a pretty girl was watching the entire time, I wouldn't have gone easy on him." Yes, he was definitely flirting with her. Maybe this could be for the better. Who ever said friends couldn't like each other?_

Katara remembered every detail of the two weeks they had spent at Ember Island. She remembered how she and Zuko had spent more time together then with anyone else, how they became close enough that they shared secrets with each other that they never expected to leave their lips, how holding hands under the setting sun was something she never wanted to give up. When the last day came and they all headed in their separate directions, she had expected Zuko to tell Sokka that he wanted to take her to the Fire Nation with him, but nothing of the sort was said. She had wanted him to ask her to join him one last time before they separated, but when they hugged their goodbyes, all he said was a measly, "See you next time."

She didn't know if she should be mad at him for leading her on, or at herself for allowing herself to be lead on in what would turn out to be a fling instead of a relationship. Either way, it had been two years since she had seen the golden eyes of her friend, and there was still a large part of her that missed his presence, even if she was upset with him.

Every time she felt angry with him, she knew that she was wrong to feel that way. She knew better then to hold grudges over petty things, but she also knew that such feelings meant she still felt something for him.

"-ara?" She thought she could hear someone talking near her, but chose to ignore it in favour of being alone in her thoughts.

"Katara?" The same voice repeated, this time fulling bringing her out of her day dreaming state. "Are you in there?"

"Hmm? Oh, yes. Did you need something, Kahno?"

Kahno looked at her quizzically. "Everything all right?"

She withheld a sigh that would've been directed at the boy who neglected to do his chores. "Yes, I'm fine."

"Ah. Right." He looked like he was about to say something more, but he stopped himself before any words escaped. Katara would have questioned his out of character silence, but she had other things on her mind, and Kahno began walking away before she could ask.

 _That was it?_ Dismising her annoyance over him interrupting her day dream only to not tell her why, Katara hugged the woven basket against her hip and turned back towards her grandmother's igloo, nearly colliding into a tall man. Before she even met his eyes, she knew who it was. She'd recognise that slim build anywhere, covered in a parka or not.

"Sokka!"

The young man chuckled and wrapped his arms around his younger sister. "I see you've had no luck fighting off the boys while I've been away." Katara gave him a playful elbow to the ribs, hoping that none of the meaning was lost behind the lightness of it.

The siblings walked together back to their grandmother's, recounting the past four months they had been apart. If bystanders hadn't known any better, they could've easily been mistaken as twins. Their boots made soft crunching sounds as they padded against the hard packed snow. just as they made it to the fabric covered entrance, Sokka turned to his sister, biting his lip. "I forgot. I wanted to stop at Dad's new office before lunch."

Katara had already began pulling back then flap when she turned back to Sokka. "I'd go with you, but I'm sure Gran Gran could use an extra set of hands. Especially now that you're here." Sokka's cheeks pulled up at the corners, revealing his addictive grin.

"I'll be back in a few!" He shouted over his shoulder, already on his way to the chief's office.

Katara left her brother to his own devices and ducked inside the igloo. Only one other person occupied the building, and it wasn't Gran Gran.

There, squatting near the centre and stoking a fire, sat a man bundled in thick furs of red and black. He heard her stunned gasp and his head automatically shot in her direction. He looked every bit the part of the powerful ruler of an entire nation. The top half of his hair was pinned up with his crown secured around it, leaving the bottom half to spill in long, silky strands over his shoulders. His body seemed to have even more height and bulk since she had last seen him, even in a crouched position covered in a heavy parka.

She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. So many things she wanted to say, but none of them made it to her lips. _Why didn't you take me with you? Why didn't you visit earlier? Why didn't you send any letters? Why are you here? How long are you staying? Does this mean what I think it does?_ Her mind went on a wild rampage. Thankfully, Zuko seemed to have all the answers, despite not being asked.

He stood slowly, towering over her. Even with his harsh resting face added to his scar, he didn't seem the least bit intimidating to her. Each step he took towards her seemed intentionally drawn out and measured. The closer he got, the faster her heart pounded in her chest. She was so entranced with studying him that she barely took time to register what was going on when he wrapped his arms around her, drawing her against his chest.

In that moment, all her questions vanished. It didn't matter where she was in the world, being with him felt like home.

Zuko hummed a deep note, the sound rumbling in his chest. "You're not going to ask why I'm hear?"

"I wanted to," she said, hiding that she had completely forgotten about it before he had brought it up.

"Suki came back to visit Sokka. I didn't want to be left behind while the most capable guard I hired left the nation." He paused, the swell of emotions inside of her beginning to deflate. He pulled her closer. "That, and I wanted to see the girl that's been pulling at my mind since the day we parted."

Katara wrapped her arms around Zuko's waist, pulling the Fire Lord as close to her as possible. She didn't care that she had so many unanswered questions. She didn't care that they were standing in the middle of her grandmother's igloo, where any of her family members could have easily walked in to see their embrace. He was here with her now, and that was all that mattered.

Had either one of them been paying more attention, they would have noticed Sokka and Suki poking their heads through the linen door, each wearing a smug smirk plastered across their features.

"I told you this was a great idea."


	4. Manipulative

It is currently 11:52am,on December 26, 2018. Whether or not I finish this story at a reasonable time will depend entirely on... well, me. My procrastination levels are through the roof, and my story ideas are extremely limited at this point. So, for now, I'm just going to go with the flow and cross my fingers that I'm not hindered with writer's block again. For two years.

That, and I've kind of lost all motivation to write more than a couple hundred words, so this update will be a short one.

* * *

Zuko sat on the floor of his uncle's living room, visibly becoming more and more annoyed as the hours wore on.

The group had decided to all meet up in Ba Sing Se for their yearly vacation, but in Zuko's case, he had been reduced from Fire Lord to babysitter in a matter of days. While the other five members of their group were off on their own adventures within the city, Zuko was deemed "the one who needed a day to himself the most."

For some reason unknown to him, that meant he got to spend the day without any other adults while looking after four children all under the age of five. One with a boomerang he hoped wasn't carved into a blade, one that constantly babbled but had yet to form coherent words, one that seemed to find a way to make everything dangerous for either himself or others, and another that did everything in her power to be as incredibly annoying as humanly possible.

This left him with a hangover-like headache as he leaned against the wall, counting down the hours until the rest of the adults came back.

Just as the pounding in his head seemed to calm, the eldest of the children let out a blood curdling squeal that Zuko swore the entire neighbourhood heard. _Great, now the city thinks I'm a child murderer_ , he thought, glaring harshly at the oblivious four-year-old who continued to play with wooden blocks on the floor in front of him.

Why was _he_ stuck _here_ , of all places? He was the Fire Lord, for spirits' sake! There were better things to do than babysit his friends' overly rambunctious kids. Things like dealing with the influx of citizens coming in from the colonies, or releasing prisoners of war and detaining criminals, or even sitting through meetings with the nobles and officials he despised.

Hours came and went, and by the time everyone else came back to Iroh's home, the sun had already dipped below the horizon. An entire day. He spent an entire day with children that weren't even in school yet. As each of the adults entered the home, the noises the children produced became increasingly loud.

Zuko pushed himself off the floor and turned his glare from the children to their parents. Sokka, Suki, Toph, and Aang were just as oblivious as their kids.

"They've been awake this whole time?" Suki questioned, handing the youngest of the children the Aang before going over to her own three. "Why didn't you put them to bed after their supper?"

Zuko resisted the urge to mimick her in a squeaky, high pitched tone. "They're your kids. You should know just how easy it is to get them to do anything," he said on his way out the door for fresh air. He could feel all their eyes following him right before he shut the door behind him, nearly colliding into Katara as she trailed behind.

"Everything okay?" she asked, her cool hands cupping his burning face.

"If you can promise me we're never having kids, yes."

Katara had a strange expression like she was stuck between wanting to laugh and being furious with him as she thought about his words. A fire burned behind her eyes. "And what if I want kids?"

Zuko contemplated his wife's words. They hadn't discussed kids in the seven years since they had started dating, but it was foolish of him to believe Katara would be satisfied with a family of just the two of them. As much as this day had turned him off from the idea of having kids, he also couldn't think of a better way to make his friends pay for making him watch their kids. "If they're good with us and hooligans while with your brother, you can have as many kids as you'd like." Katara was the only person that could manipulate him with her eyes alone.

His wife took a breath before looking him deep in the eye. "Zuko, I'm pregnant."


End file.
